China intensifies crackdown on Christians, fines pastor and his wife for running underground church

The Chinese government has escalated its crackdown on Christians, targeting a pastor who has been slapped with substantial fines for leading a house church. This troubling incident has raised grave concerns within religious communities across the country, as many describe this as a case of religious persecution. Pastor Yang Xibo and his wife, Wang Xiaofei, who oversee the Xunsiding Church, have been collectively fined 400,000 yuan (approximately $55,100) for organising religious activities. The case was revealed by ChinaAid, a Texas-based nonprofit organization that monitors Christian oppression in China. Xunsiding Church, situated in Xiamen, a port city on China’s southeast coast near Taiwan, is the largest house church in the region. House churches are Christian congregations that have chosen not to register with China’s official Protestant or Roman Catholic churches. The couple has been embroiled in a legal battle over the fine since 2021, and ChinaAid reported that the amount was doubled on June 28. Yang and Wang recently took to social media to announce their refusal to pay, expressing gratitude to God for allowing them to endure persecution and noting that they possess no property for the court to seize—an unexpected blessing. Yang Xibo, a fourth-generation minister, follows in the footsteps of his father and aunt, who were both imprisoned for rejecting membership in the state-sanctioned Three-Self Church, as reported by ChinaAid. Xunsiding Church initially faced a ban and a 25,000 yuan fine in May 2019. According to ChinaAid, the Chinese government deployed police to surround the church and subjected its members to 30 days of harassment. The congregation frequently changed locations as authorities continued their surveillance, conducting repeated raids that resulted in property destruction. In addition, churchgoers were pressured to enroll their children in public schools. The targeted persecution of Xunsiding Church is part of a broader crackdown on unregistered churches in China, where only five religious groups are permitted to practice under strict state supervision, according to ChinaAid. Earlier this year, ChinaAid President Bob Fu informed Fox News Digital that Christian persecution in China has reached a level not seen since the Cultural Revolution under Mao Zedong. According to a report published by ChinaAid, Chinese Christians are routinely imprisoned and subjected to torture. The government exploits the traditional Christian practice of tithing to fabricate fraud charges, aiming to financially suffocate house churches. Numerous house church pastors and elders have been imprisoned, facing the prospect of lengthy sentences. In Henan province, religious individuals are obligated to register with the government’s “Smart Religion” app to participate in worship services. Fu also cautioned that the tactics employed by Western governments are increasingly resembling those of the Chinese Communist Party he fled from when he sought refuge in the United States during the 1990s. Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.